Since I had to go to the dentist, I took yesterday off as a rest day. I realized that the month is almost 50% over and I'm not quite at 200 miles. So, today I braved some crazy windy conditions to get in some miles. I rode from home to Morrison, which is 20 miles round trip.
On the way up there, I was fighting a headwind so strong that I my average speed was 12 mph. Coming home was an entirely different story. At one point, I was doing 20 mph up hill without even pedaling.
Here's my progress report:
Miles to date: 179.73
Miles to goal: 220.27
I did my house ride this morning and shot some quick video while I was out. Man, my legs were feeling the ride yesterday, so I just took it easy. I've got to go to the dentist tomorrow to get some cavities filled, so I might not be up for riding.
Yesterday we rode from Sedalia to Palmer Lake. It's nearly 50 miles round trip and a good way to get back into the saddle for three hours.
The ride is really quite nice. It's basically all uphill for the first half with lots of rollers until you climb and then descend into the two of Palmer Lake. There's about 2,100 feet of total climbing.
We stopped at a little coffee shop, grabbed a quick Americano and refueled with a snack. There's a small climb out of town, then you hit a 40 mph descent tapers into a couple mile 30 mph.
Well, I didn't think I was going to get out and ride when I woke up this morning to a couple inches of snow. But by noon, it was clear that I'd be able to ride. Unfortunately, I forgot that all my cycling clothes (and I needed all of them today!) were in the washing machine. I started the load but turned it off to take a shower and forgot to turn it back on.
Anyway, after I washed and dried my clothes, I was able to get out after work. I got in 22 miles and about 1,400 feet of climbing.
Here's how I stand in my 400-mile goal:
Miles to date: 84.13
It doesn't look like I'll get out and ride today. There's a storm coming in which is expected to dump a few inches of snow by tomorrow, so looks like I'll be stuck on the trainer tomorrow.
Thursday is supposed to be back in the 60s, so I'll be able to get back on track then.
Here's where I stand in making the 400-mile goal this month:
Miles this month: 62.14
Miles to go towards goal:337.86
Days left: 25
Training for a ride like BikeMS is really important. Most people can do the ride, but the better you train, the faster you’ll get there and the better you’ll feel once you’re there.
Last year, I added the Century option to the end of the second day’s ride, and man was I beat by the time I crossed the finish line. I could barely walk, and even though there was a huge lunch tent, I didn’t feel like I could eat anything.
In October of 2009, when we were in Italy of all places, my foot started dragging again, especially after walking long distances. I have to admit it looked pretty funny, and Christina started calling me Quasimodo. I told myself that I wasn’t going to worry about it until I got home.
Most of you have heard this story, but for those who haven’t here it is.
This all started in December of 2004. One morning, I woke up and my left leg just wasn’t working right. I couldn’t balance on it and my foot was acting like it didn’t want to leave the ground. Each time I lifted my foot to walk, it just dropped back down. I also noticed that if I put certain pressure on my foot (pressing the clutch pedal for example), my lower leg would start shaking uncontrollably.
